Introduction of essay(2)

v-Introduction (2)

The eight-legged essay was a style of essay writing that had to be mastered to pass the was divided into eight sections.

The eight-legged essay format was invented by the Song Dynasty reformer Wang Anshi. However, it is not certain exactly when the form became the standard for the in 1370 is much less rigid and precise than eight-legged essays eventually became. It specifies only the topics to be tested in the examinations and the minimum length of the candidates' essays. According to Gu Yanwu, the form of the essay became more standardized during the 15th century. The term "eight-legged essay" first appeared during the period from 1465 to 1487, and the essay form was first required in the examinations of 1487 and 1496.

Since mastery of the form was a requirement for success in the examinations, commercial printers during the Ming Dynasty began to print successful examination essays as guides for aspiring candidates. The first of these appeared in pirated form during the 16th century. However, the practice gained official approval in 1587, when the government suggested that the best papers of the previous century be reprinted as examples.

Opening破題"break topic"

Two sentences of prose whose function is to broach the topic.

Amplification承題"carry topic"

Five sentences of prose, elaborating upon and clarifying the theme.

Preliminary exposition起講"begin speak"

Prosaic writing

Initial argument起股"begin section" A specified number (4, 5, 8 or 9) of sentence pairs written in parallel, developing the initial argument. The parallel sentences address the topic and convey similar meanings, with similar structure but different words.

Central argument中股"middle portion"

Sentences written in parallel, with no limit as to their number, in which the central points of the essay are expounded freely.

Latter argument後股"after portion"

Sentences written in parallel, with no limit as to their number. Here, points not addressed in the previous section are discussed; otherwise, the writer may continue padding the ideas in the central argument. It is to be written in a serious tone rooted in realism.

Final argument束股"tying-up section"

Parallel sentence groups, each one consisting of either two to three, or else four to five, lines. Here, the main theme is revisited and loose ends are tied up.

Conclusion大結"big knot"

Prosaic writing where free expression and creativity are allowed. The concluding remarks are made here.

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